Avatar: Corruption
by Furyan01
Summary: Taking place hundreds of years before Aang and his gang graced the planet, this is the story of the fallen Avatar Kurenai and the group of heroes who must band together to stop her.
1. Prologue

Avatar: Corruption

The Beginning of the End

Avatar Kurenai looked out over the fields that would serve as the battlegrounds for her final fight against the nations of the world. Fitting that it would be here in the semi-flat grasslands of the Earth Nation, just west of Ba Sing Se. This nation had always been too stubborn for its own good; resisting her at every turn. Well that was all about to change. Her forces already numbered in the thousands and were comprised of soldiers from every nation, including mercenaries, bandits, and even pirates. It would have been a motley crew, but General Dakka of the Fire Nation had whipped them into something that resembled an actual army. Between his sternness and their fear of her, these men would fight to the death for the Avatar. That was good, because she expected nothing less than that from them. And if that still wasn't enough, her benefactor would finally make himself known and show the rebels arrayed before her true power.

Across from her army's position stood those of the 'Anti-Avatar Alliance,' or so they called themselves. Rebels and dissidents, all of them. These fools who came from every nation and had rallied behind the one named Tudoncha Liss. Tudu, or so his friends called him, had been a thorn in Kurenai's side for quite some time now. The earthbender, and prominent martial artist, was quite the adversary, as he had shown on multiple occasions while dispatching a number of Kurenai's soldiers. Hell, he and his cohorts had even defeated most of her top generals. His little team included himself, the waterbender Kuruk from the Southern Water Tribe, Princess Akiza of the Fire Nation, and a man named Yamcha from the Eastern Air Nomads. There were a number of others who followed and assisted the group, but these four were the strongest. Commander Tsumei of the Dai Li had done well in choosing these people to oppose Kurenai, and hiding her recruiting campaign behind a martial arts tournament was a stroke of genius. Too bad she didn't live long enough to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Not that it mattered. Kurenai was about to destroy these people and solidify herself as the ruler of these lands, once and for all...

'Remember our deal, little one,' a voice said in her head. 'Everything you have come to enjoy, I've brought you. Once this battle is complete, I expect you to finish the ritual.'

"I remember the deal," Avatar Kurenai said in annoyance out loud to the voice. A couple of her commanders gave her sidelong glances as they tried to figure out just who she was talking to as there was no one there. She paid them no heed, however. "Once I crush these peasants, we shall move forward with the plan."

Turning her attention back to her foes, she saw Tudu riding the earth elemental he had tamed a while back. The creature resembled a Tyrannosaurus Rex made out of grey stone with multi-colored crystal spikes running along its back from head to tail. It's beady eyes glowed a deep green as if shining a light through an emerald gem. Alongside the earthbender was Fire Princess Akiza atop her red scaled dragon, Shenzen. Kurenai had dueled the two with her own dragon in the past, and planned to again. While the princess' dragon was fast and maneuverable, it couldn't match Kurenai's in sheer power. As she reflected on their previous encounter in the air, she smiled maliciously while holding her hand up to the sky. After a moment, an ear piercing roar shattered the stillness of the moment as Avatar Kurenai's dark dragon descended from the clouds high overhead. Men and women scattered as the beast came down just behind the Avatar. Kurenai took pleasure in seeing some of the faces of the 'Alliance' drop at the sight of it. Now it seemed the only thing that was missing was Yamcha atop his Sky Bison, Evie, or whatever he called it. She was sure he was around somewhere, waiting to do something crafty. She didn't care, though.

Bending air to float herself upwards, Avatar Kurenai seated herself on the back of her dark dragon. Next, she bent it again to project her voice to her entire force. She gave them but one simple command.

"Forward. Destroy them all!"


	2. Kurenai, of the Northern Water Tribe

Kurenai, of the Northern Water Tribe

Kurenai couldn't remember a time when she wasn't being hounded by her parents to be the best. It didn't matter if it was waterbending, cooking, studying, or braiding her hair. Whatever it was, she was to be the pinnacle of perfection. She guessed that's what it took to be the Avatar. As it was, she was slated to be the next one. The previous mantle was held by a prominent airbender from the Western Air Nomads. After his passing, it was known that a waterbender was next in the cyclic order. Once it was discovered at the age of six that Kurenai was the one, her life changed forever. No longer was she allowed to hang out with friends or play. She was expected to devote herself to training and studying. It didn't help that her father was Lord Ben Cai, leader of the Northern Water Tribe. The man personified the very meaning of sovereign. At all times he was dignified, stoic, and regal. Indeed, it seemed everything about him was flawless, from the way he dressed, to the way he conducted himself, to even his waterbending. He expected the best of himself, and now that his daughter was to be the next Avatar, that expectation fell to her as well. And so she trained and studied.

As it was, young Kurenai was quite bullheaded and stubborn in her youth. However, that bullheadedness played in her favor, as she refused to give up and disappoint her parents. More importantly, she refused to disappoint herself. By the age of eight, Kurenai had mastered waterbending. Once she had accomplished that, she started training in the other elements. By twelve, she could bend earth and air with the best of them. However, fire eluded her. Whether it was the due to the fact that fire was the direct opposite to water, or that she just didn't mesh well with her instructors, Kurenai couldn't reach the desired effect with her bending. Frustration set in to the point that she lashed out in rage. Causing a hard flash freeze, Kurenai froze her training grounds for two days, and nearly killed her instructors. Nevertheless, with time, and more careful tutelage, she was able to grasp firebending.

Finally, with all four elements firmly under her belt, Kurenai had but one more obstacle to overcome. Now her focus was on attaining mastery over the Avatar State. This proved to be her most difficult challenge yet, as she could never quite reach the state of zen required for it. Even at the time when she was able to clear her mind and focus, it felt as if something was working against her. Nevertheless, by the age of sixteen, Kurenai was granted the title of Avatar and bestowed the rights and responsibilities it garnered. Her coronation was held at the palace of the Northern Water Tribe with people coming from every nation to see her. It was her proudest moment. Soon after, she found herself traveling the world over meeting people from all walks of life and working to keep the peace between the four nations.

While Kurenai was successful at settling a good number of disputes and ensuring smooth relations between the nations, she was bothered by her inability to freely command the Avatar State. She saw it as a pockmark on her record, and it infuriated her. After all, the Avatar State was a key facet of her role. If she couldn't freely command it and its power, what sort of Avatar was she? This proved to be a major distraction for her. As so, this frustration began to bleed over into her work causing her to become more forceful in her dealings with the nations. What's more, whenever anyone pointed out this flaw, Kurenai became borderline violent. She had started on a downward spiral, and it seemed that things would only get worse...


	3. The Dispute

The Dispute

One day Avatar Kurenai found herself being summoned to the northwestern territory of the Earth Nation. It seemed there was yet another 'fire' for her to stamp out. This time, she was tasked with settling a dispute between the rights to an ancient temple and the artifacts held within. On one side were the Earthbender miners who had unearthed the entrance to the temple, while the other side was comprised of the Fire Nation archeologists who had discovered its location. While the men from the Earth Nation claimed that it was in their territory and therefore theirs, those from the Fire Nation argued that the temple was of their nation's origin and belonged to them. With both sides refusing to back down, it fell to Kurenai to figure out who had the rightful claim to the temple.

While the men continued to argue, the Avatar made her way inside the temple to get a look at it for herself, as well as to find some peace and quiet to make her decision. As she passed through the silent halls of the temple's inner sanctum, she bent up a flame from the palm of her hand to see by. The voices of the men outside had long since faded and all she could hear was the sound of her footsteps as they echoed off the walls. As she observed the walls and pillars within the temple, she saw flame symbols scattered about. However, she also saw the symbols of all the other elements as well. This place was a curiosity as she'd never seen a temple dedicated to all of the elements at once. There was also another symbol mixed in that she had never seen before. It resembled a crescent moon with a pair of small 's' shaped accents emanating from it. Rounding a corner, Kurenai came to a set of large stone doors. Intrigued by what was behind them, she pushed on one with her free hand. When it refused to budge, she planted herself and Earthbent the door open. It creaked and groaned under her coercion, but granted her entrance to what was beyond.

The room appeared to be some sort of throne room. That was unusual for a temple, as they tended to be places where people came to pray. Yet, in the center of the chamber was a large, ornate chair far larger than what the normal person required. As Kurenai increased her projection of fire to get a better look at her surroundings, the shadows around the chair shifted and darted away in an unnatural manner. Kurenai gasped and jumped back in shock.

"Who's there?" she demanded, flaring her flame to try to see whatever it was more clearly.

"Easy my child, you have nothing to fear from me," a deep, bodiless voice answered her. It had a masculine nature to it, but Kurenai could not locate its source. There was no one around.

"Who are you?" Kurenai asked. "Where are you?"

"So many questions, yet you are the one trespassing in my temple. Perhaps you should start by introducing yourself first."

"Very well, I am Avatar Kurenai. And you?" she answered.

"The Avatar? I see, then you may call me Hwai An. I am of the Spirit Realm, and this is one of my temples," the voice responded.

"And what sort of spirit would that make you?" Kurenai pressed. The disembodied voice chuckled lightly.

"Why, I am the Spirit of Darkness, my dear. Surely, you've heard of me, being the Avatar and all," Hwai An replied.

"Can't say that I have," Kurenai said with a twinge of annoyance in her voice. As she looked to where she thought the voice was coming from, the shadows seemed to congeal there and take form. As she looked upon the black mass, it took on the form of a wingless dragon that stood about six feet tall. It's eyes and maw glowed a deep purple and she could feel a massive and strong presence coming from it, though she did not feel threatened.

"Well, it matters not," the spirit added. "Though I am curious as to what brings you here."

"A dispute over ownership of this temple. Men from both the Earth and Fire Nations are claiming it as theirs," she answered. "With it being in Earth Nation territory, I was tempted to leave it in their hands, though I'm sure those from the Fire Nation won't take it well should I do so. Then there's the complication of yourself. Shouldn't you be in the Spirit Realm?"

"Hmm, where I choose to reside is my own business. As for the men outside, it sounds as if no matter what choice you make, someone will be upset. However, that shouldn't be a problem for you. You're the Avatar after all. You are the authority for the nations, are you not? They should be grateful that you have taken the time to even look into this trite little squabble. I'm sure there are far more important matters for you to deal with," Hwai An said.

"Hmph, you're certainly right there. It gets old having to keep stamping out all of these little fires all over the place. But, I suppose that's the job of the Avatar," Kurenai responded with a shrug.

"Hardly. You should be focusing on matters far more important. Like bridging the gap between the Spirit and the Mortal Realms. With your use of Avatar State, you are free to cross between these realms at will and mediate the two." As Hwai An mentioned the Avatar State, Kurenai's look hardened and she glanced away from the shadow dragon. "It seems I have struck a sensitive cord," he continued. "Could it be you are having some difficulty with this?" Kurenai said nothing. "That is not good. An Avatar without the Avatar State will be hard pressed to keep the nations of the Mortal Realm in line."

"I know!" Kurenai snapped. "I can already tell that they don't respect me as they should. I've been able to master all of the elements. So what if I am having trouble with the Avatar State? I'm still the Avatar," Kurenai said, her anger rising. Just thinking about her problems with that troublesome ability was enough to make her blood boil. And don't think she didn't notice the glances people gave her when they found out she couldn't utilize it freely. She had long since grown tired of the disrespect she had garnered. She was still the Avatar, after all. She'd worked hard to get to where she was. The shadow looked at her for a moment before speaking again.

"You know, access to the Avatar State isn't everything? There are other abilities you could master that will garner you plenty of respect and admiration from those whom you are in service to. If you desired it, I could teach you one of them now…," Hwai An stated while offering his claw to her.

"What are you talking about; what abilities?" Kurenai asked, her interest piqued.

"I'll show you, but on one condition. In exchange for my knowledge, you must let me accompany you in your travels. It's been a long time since I've walked the Mortal Realm. I'd like to once again." Kurenai arched an eyebrow.

"You can't on your own?"

"Unfortunately not. As I said, I am the Spirit of Darkness. The light of your world is painful to endure directly. However, with your permission of course, I could piggyback myself on your own spirit and experience your world through your eyes," Hwai An said. "You would have nothing to fear, as I would only be a passenger. I could not exert any control over you, should you be concerned for such a thing."

Kurenai considered what the spirit had suggested. While she wasn't sure if she could trust him, she was definitely interested in expanding her power base. Even if she couldn't access the Avatar State, if she had something new and powerful, she knew she would finally garner the respect she deserved. If Hwai An could provide that, she would withstand his coming along with her. And if he proved to be anything other than what he had promised, she'd leave him in one of the deserts of the Earth Nation to burn.

"Very well, I agree to your terms," Kurenai said.

"Excellent, let's begin," the spirit replied. He then extended his claw to lightly touch the Avatar's forehead. A cold sensation emanated from that spot and spread throughout her body. For a moment, her vision blacked out, and she began to worry. However, as quickly as it came, the darkness vanished. Hwai An spoke to her again, but this time it came from inside her head. 'Let's start with something up your alley, shall we? You are from one of the Water Tribes, are you not?'

"I am. The Northern Water Tribe, to be specific," she replied out loud.

'Indeed. That would fit with the cyclic order of the Avatar reincarnation. Then let me instruct you in the ways of Bloodbending. It is a lost, but powerful art that will allow you to influence those around you without causing bodily harm to them. At least, not as directly as you would with something such as Earth or Firebending. Unless, of course, you desired to do so...'

Kurenai's vision then flooded with images of a man she did not know. He was tall of stature with long hair that reached down past his shoulders. He had a matching beard and mustache that complimented his hairstyle and showed off his middle age well. He was dressed in a set of ornate blue and gold robes that hinted at possible nobility, though she didn't recognize the design. The man went through a series of motions that were familiar yet foreign to her at the same time. She knew they were similar to the motions she performed while Waterbending, but they had a different feel to them. They weren't quite as fluid as she was taught, and were more rigid in nature. As Kurenai continued to watch the man perform, another individual appeared before him. The new person's body began to contort in response to the bender's motions. It was amazing. Not only was the bender controlling the other's motions, he was able to lift them into the air and suspend them there. Once the display was complete, Kurenai felt as though she could recreate the art precisely from memory.

'Feel free to use this art as you see fit. With time, I can also show you more,' Hwai An said from within her.

With a nod, Kurenai made her way out from the temple. As she emerged into the daylight, she saw the men from the two nations waiting for her impatiently. They gathered around her to hear her decision concerning rights to the temple. Initially, she paid them no heed. Brushing past them, she was still considering the implications of the art of Bloodbending. Hwai An had granted her a serious boon, and she was eager to try it out.

"Well?" one of the men blurted out. "What's it gonna be, Miss Kurenai? Who will be granted the rights to the temple?" The others nodded and murmured their agreement to the question.

"Avatar," Kurenai said quietly in response.

"I'm sorry?" the man said, not understanding her.

"It's Avatar Kurenai. 'Avatar' is the proper title for me," she said with an edge in her voice. The men looked between themselves in confusion.

"Yes...of course, Avatar Kurenai. We are eagerly awaiting your decision with regards to the temple." Kurenai turned around to look at the place once more. She could feel Hwai An also awaiting her response. It felt like a test; that he wanted to see what she would do.

"The temple belongs to no one," she finally said looking between the men before her. The men from each side looked at each other in surprise. This was not the outcome they expected. After a couple of moments, they became upset.

"What do you mean it belongs to no one?!"

"The temple is firmly in sovereign Earth Nation territory!"

"This is outrageous; you can't just leave it at that!" Everyone began complaining and arguing at once. Kurenai closed her eyes while they did so, her ire rising. The men were about to come to blows when she shouted at them.

"Enough! I have made my decision."

"You can't do that!" one of the men continued to argue. "You were called here to settle this one way or the other. We demand that you do so." She turned to him then, pinning him with a hard stare. He didn't back down, though.

"Is that so?" she asked, with malice in her voice. She flung her hands out and went through a quick series of bending motions. The man went rigidly erect, his hands snapping to his sides and his eyes bulging. She then lifted him into the air and flung him into the wall of the temple. There was an audible snap as his back was broken. His body then fell limply to the ground. Everyone stared at it in shock while taking a few unconscious steps away from it and Kurenai. Hwai An then spoke to her.

'See now how they understand just how powerful you are. All they needed was a push. With this ability, none would dare judge you unworthy of your place as the Avatar.' The nations' men began to speak up.

"What have you done?"

"What was that you did to him?"

"How could you do such a thing?" They continued to question her, while a couple of people went to check the body. Their shock was turning into anger once again. Kurenai began to question what she had done when someone shouted out.

"You're not deserving of the title 'Avatar.' You're a monster!"

Kurenai's anger flared. How dare these peasants question her? She was the Avatar, after all. She'd be damned if she was going to stand here and let them hurl insults at her. They had to be put in their place!

"You want a monster? Then I'll give you one," she snarled. Flinging out her hands once more, she began to go through the same motions as before. This time, however, her motions were much broader. The entire group of miners and archeologists before her were bent to their knees against their wills. The few who tried to retaliate had their necks snapped violently. The rest began pleading for their lives. Kurenai stalked up to them and looked them over. "This is much better. Now you all should know your place."

"Please, forgive us Avatar Kurenai!" one man pleaded. "We were in error. It will never happen again." Kurenai contemplated what to do with them. After a few moments, she released her hold on them and let them go. They wasted no time in making a break for it. Hwai An spoke to her once again.

'You have shown them your strength. They will surely spread the news of your power throughout the nations.'

"More likely they will send someone to stop me," Kurenai said somberly. "And they'd be right to do so. I killed those men, with hardly a thought. This Bloodbending is powerful. Perhaps too much so. I never thought I'd be capable of something like this."

'Nonsense, it is the perfect tool for one such as yourself. While you may have been a bit heavy handed today, with time and practice, you will soar past all expectations. Together, we will make you great. Even better than all the Avatars of the past, or those to come!' That got her attention.

"Better than all of the Avatars, huh? That sounds perfect," Kurenai said.

'Good. Then let's be on our way, shall we. We have much to discuss, and even more to do.'


End file.
